According to Sky Sports, Celtic are now closing in on a pre-contract agreement for Preston North End ace Ben Davies, that would see the ace join the Scottish giants on a free transfer this summer.
The news was shared by assistant news editor Lyall Thomas and also featured on Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre ticker, with this marking the side nearing a much-needed quality addition ahead of next season.
Sky Sports note that talks are ‘progressing well’ and importantly are at an ‘advanced stage’, with Davies free to discuss a move with foreign clubs as he’s in the final six months of his contract.
It’s added that Celtic are on the brink of beating off interest from nailed-on Premier League relegation candidates Sheffield United and Championship promotion hopefuls Bournemouth.
Celtic have reportedly been eyeing the centre-back for some time now.
Exclusive: #Celtic closing in on agreement with #Preston’s Ben Davies for the summer: https://t.co/OzHTtF6aQx #pnefc
— Lyall Thomas (@SkySportsLyall) January 26, 2021
Neil Lennon’s side need a player of this calibre in the pipeline for the summer after a disastrous season has left them set to miss out on a historic 10th straight Scottish Premiership title to rivals Rangers.
The Hoops sit 23 points behind their heated Glaswegian foes, with even their three games in hand effectively hopeless to stopping Steven Gerrard from lifting his first major title as a manager.
Celtic also embarrassed themselves on the European front this term, finishing bottom of their Europa League group and delivering performances way off of fans’ expectations.
6ft1 ace Davies, who has also featured at left-back in the past, has made 144 appearances for Preston since coming through the ranks – most of which coming in the English Championship.
Davies has looked decent in the second-tier, showing that he’s skilled enough to absolutely dominate against competition in the Highlands.